Lake Baikal is a unique natural formation on the Earth. There is no inquisitive man on the Planet who
has not heard that in Siberia there is a wonder - Lake Baikal. But how well we are informed about this
huge beautiful lake? It is known, that Lake Baikal differs with its original peculiarities from other
world's freshwater lakes. It is the deepest (more than 1642 m) continental water-body on the Planet and
contains 23,600 km2 of water or about 20% of the Earth's unfrozen surface
freshwaters. The bottom of the lake is 1182 m bellow the level of the world ocean. The Baikal waters have
an exclusive transparency (that is maximum in general for lakes) and minimum mineralization and suspended
particles of various composition. An outstanding feature of Lake Baikal, consisting in both riches and
originality of its fauna and flora, attracts attention of experts all around the world. 80% of 2635 known
species and subspecies of hydrobionts in the lake are found nowhere else, that means they are endemic. But
there are many other quantitative characteristics of the Lake which surprise with their unique parameters.
For example, who knows (except of specialists, of course) that 300,000,000 omuls and about 100,000 Baikal
seals inhabit the lake. It also seems to be unusual: such a great number of virus microorganisms living in
the surface water layer and reaching n x 106 particles per 1 ml of water, or the number of cianobacteria which
constitute up to 7 x 10s cells per 1 mg of water.

There is another one remarkable feature that
distinguishes it from the other geological structures of the Globe. Thus if we add the highest altitude
of the mountain ranges that border the lake (2840 m) to its maximum depth (1642 m) and to an estimated maximum
sediment thickness of the Baikal basin (8500 m) we will find that the amplitude of the Earth's Crust trough
under the lake (12977 m) is about 2 km. deeper than the deepest point of the ocean floor - Mariana Trench
(11022 m). Such deep rift faults were found nowhere else on the Earth's continents.

"Glorious Sea,
Sacred Baikal". The words of this popular folksong have been known for more than a century. There are quite
a number of seas in this country: The Black Sea, the White Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Caspian Sea. But none of
them has ever been honoured with such poetic, tender words as "glorious sea". Only this, Baikal the Father,
the Siberian Lake - Sea has.

One should not just measure Baikal, for instance as "one fifth of the world's
fresh water reserves". Lake Baikal is not a mere reservoir that contains H2O. First and foremost it is an ineffable
miracle on a scale which amazes and defies comprehension. And though all reference-books define it as a "lake", the
word "sea" comes to mind when looking at Baikal. Its dimensions cannot but impress, and the figures are not sufficient
enough to convey what one really feels on its shores.

Swiftly roaring down high ridges to the lake, many streams and rivers have cut through the mountains deep, narrow, dark
canyons. In the places where the streams come across hard rock ledges they make up picturesque cascades.

On the steep slopes to the height of 600-800 m above the lake level the taiga rises. Up the slope, forests are
replaced by sparse growth of trees and higher up stretches out the tundra.

The water of the lake is distinguished by its extraordinary clarity and cleanness. The colour of the water depends
greatly on this clarity. The deepwater area of the Lake is indigo like that of deep seas, with the decrease of clarity
the water gets bluish-greenish and in August - September at the time of plankton growth it becomes greenish-grey. The
fishermen usually call such waters "white" or "grey", and transparent waters they would call "golomyannye" (as
transparent as golomyanka fish, the endemic fish of Baikal).

Throughout the immense time of its existence Baikal, sheltering a unique community of life, has outlived many other
natural phenomena. It does not cease to surprise explorers step by step revealing its mysteries and astonishing them with new riddles.